With Prime Video’s The Boys concluding in 2026, it’s time for another subversive superhero story to get the TV treatment. And please let it be Death Sentence by Monty Nero, Mike Dowling, and Martin Simmonds.
A subversive superhero saga, Death Sentence sets the scene in a near-future London, where a sexually transmitted virus (known as G+) infects people with super powers… but there’s one big caveat. The virus kills them in six months. Do those infected lay low and count their days, or go out in style?
“It’s a gripping thriller, laced with fear and mystery, that really makes you laugh,” writer Monty Nero says of his comic. “The tone is what makes it special. It’s a dirty, decadent, harrowing predicament that’s somehow also uplifts and amuses. Some brilliant storytelling from Mike Dowling and Martin Simmonds too. Mike draws a quarter of it, and Martin paints half. I do the rest. It’s exceptional stuff.”
It’s hard to believe that this series began over a decade ago. Its striking relevance to real-world scenarios, even those that occurred after its publication, is evident. For instance, the comic’s portrayal of G+ and Prime Minister Tony Bronson launching a nation-wide lockdown eerily mirrors the COVID-19 pandemic. The comic’s satire, namely the striking resemblance between Tony Bronson and Boris Johnson, adds to its realism.
It particularly relishes in covering heavy and poignant themes, notably morality and legacy. There’s much wisdom (and warning) weaved into the narrative, which still manages to be darkly laugh-out-loud hilarious and incredibly thought-provoking.
With a work as engaging and oddly prophetic as Death Sentence, it lends itself to a live-action adaptation. Turns out, Monty Nero is very much down for an adaptation — and pieces have been moving to make it happen. “Yes, there’s always something rumbling on,” he confirmed. “A TV show was the latest proposal. Mike and I just make our comics, we don’t get too hung up on the lottery of which shows get put into production. It’ll be fun if it happens – and lobbying never hurts!”
Lobbying for it never hurts indeed. So with that said, we’re calling all streamers: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and so on. Death Sentence would make the perfect TV show. Especially with The Boys ending in 2026, there’s no better comic out there to fill the forthcoming void.
Moreover, the Death Sentence comic is undergoing something of a resurgence right now thanks to the series being compiled into one glorious collected edition from Titan Comics. The more eyes on this work, the better.
